Pawtucket committee recommends $8,000 conceptual estimate for City Hall rehab; committee seeks buyer’s‑score comparison

The Pawtucket Facilities Committee voted Oct. 23 to recommend awarding a contract for a conceptual cost estimate for the City Hall revitalization project to the lowest‑fee responder, identified in the meeting packet as Alana Construction, for $8,000.

Committee members emphasized that the contracts on the table were for preconstruction/conceptual estimating services — not for construction work. Staff explained the three submissions the committee reviewed were square‑footage‑based conceptual estimates intended to replicate the earlier Downs owner’s‑rep estimate so the committee could compare results before deciding whether to fund design work.

The decision followed a lengthy discussion about the wide spread among the three submissions and whether paying a higher fee to a larger firm would yield materially different or more reliable information than a lower‑cost estimator who has previous files and familiarity with City Hall. Committee members raised two recurring concerns: that several vendors who had been invited did not submit proposals, and that some locally known contractors were unfamiliar with two of the three firms that responded.

Kevin Barry, a committee member, moved to recommend awarding the $8,000 assignment to Alana Construction; the motion was seconded and approved by roll call. Staff read the recorded affirmative votes into the record and confirmed the committee’s recommendation would be forwarded to the council as a procurement recommendation for the estimate work.

Members asked staff to circulate the full submission packages and the supporting specification materials before the next meeting so committee members could see bidder references and sample projects. Staff said the submission packages, including past project references and the firms’ scopes for producing a conceptual estimate, are in the packet and that full packages would be shared for review.

The committee also took up Item 4: an update on outreach to the Masonry Institute. Staff reported the Masonry Institute has offered to review construction documents and advise on qualified masonry contractors, but told staff it could not produce cost estimates without schematic or construction documents. Committee members agreed IMI consultation could be useful later in the process after the city’s design team produces clearer scope documents and drawings.

Members set a tentative follow‑up meeting roughly 4–6 weeks out (staff suggested Dec. 11 as a placeholder) to review the new conceptual estimates and invited staff to ask the selected firms whether they would send a representative to answer committee questions when their estimates are presented.

What the committee approved was the production of a second conceptual estimate to check the earlier Downs estimate and identify where any variances arise; it did not authorize design work or construction. The committee directed staff to return with the completed conceptual estimate packages and to coordinate Masonry Institute input once design documents exist.